Consulting for Out-of-Home Catering Companies on the Increased Use of Organic Farming Products

The funding program supports companies in the out-of-home catering sector nationwide in increasing their share of organic food and developing sustainable meal offerings. The Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) promotes external consulting costs through a non-repayable grant to achieve a minimum share of 30% of the monetary goods input with organic products. Eligible for funding are, in addition to companies, also educational institutions and public providers of communal catering facilities. The consulting is intended to analyze the current economic conditions and develop concrete conversion or expansion concepts for integrating organic foods. Thus, the program supports the transformation towards more sustainable economic and supply systems.

Within the framework of the funding, up to 80% of the costs for external consulting services are reimbursed – in special institutions such as daycare centers and schools, up to 90% can even be covered. Eligible expenses include fees, travel costs according to the Federal Travel Expenses Act, as well as employee training. The external consulting must be conducted by qualified consultants who can demonstrably provide extensive expertise in the field of organic farming and sustainable catering. The consulting projects should be completed within a twelve-month period and help companies efficiently adapt internal processes and recipe development to the challenges of more sustainable nutrition.

Submission of a funding application is possible no later than two months before the start of the consulting and runs until December 31, 2027. Required documents include, in addition to the application form, the guidelines, a brief report, a proof of use, and a consulting contract. A prerequisite for funding is that no consulting measures have begun before approval and that all consulting services are transparently documented and verified. Non-eligible costs include, among others, value-added tax, costs of organic certification, and catering costs during training sessions. The program is aimed at companies in the out-of-home catering sector that wish to design their operational business sustainably and thus strengthen organic farming.